Steam heating apparatus.



No. 7|5,7| 6. Patented 05049, I902.

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STEAM HEATING APPARATUS.

{Application filed May 4, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets--Sheot- I;

. Patented Dec. 9. I902.

W. WEBSTER.

STEAM HEATING APPARATUS.

(Application filed May 4, 1900.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UGZ? Patented Dec. 9, I902. v WIWEBSTEB.

STEAM HEATING APPARATUS. Application filed my 4, 1900.1

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shaot 3 n l pl EssEs- WARREN WEBSTER, OFMERCHANTVILLE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN STEAM HEATINGSPECIALTY COMPANY, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

STEAM H EATING APPARATU S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,716, dated,December 9, 1902.

Application filed May 4, 1900. Serial No. 15.4.92. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, WARREN WEBsTER, of Merchantville, Camden county, NewJersey, have invented an Improvement in Steam Heating Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to steam heating apparatus; and it consists ofcertain improvements which are fully set forth in the follow- IO ingspecification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

In steam-heating systems in which circulation is effected or controlledby means of a partial vacuum or lower pressure created in the returns oroutlets from the radiators or heaters much difficulty has beenexperienced in obtaining an effective circulation throughout all partsof the system owing to the liability of the steam to be short-circuitedor drawn in excess through portions of the piping by the suction. Suchshort-circuiting not only results in defective circulation anddistribution of heat, but causes a large waste of steam. To obviatethis, it is necessary to partially close or throttle certain of thevalves, and a part of these valves must be throttled to such an extentas to form a very small thoroughfare, and the size of this thoroughfaremust be different in diflerentlylocated valves. With an ordinaryhandvalve, such as is commonly used, this careful throttling to form asmall thoroughfare cannot practically be obtained, since the ordinaryvalve passage-way is of such size that 3 5 a very nice adjustment mustbe made to obtain the desired closure. It results that even when suchvalves are adjusted with great care they are usually too widely open toeffectively control the circulation.

It is the object of my invention to enable the system to be easily andexpeditiously adjusted to provide thoroughfares of proper sizesthroughout the system for a uniform circulation and to enable thethoroughfares to be varied to any desired extent without the exercise ofany special care or skill.

In carrying out my invention I employ in combination with the radiatorsor heaters and means to create a partial vacuum or lower pressure in theoutlets or returns thereof of a valve device, interposed between theoutlets of the radiators and the means to create the partial vacuum, andhaving a main thoroughfare of relativelylargearea and an auxiliarythoroughfare of relativelysmall area so arranged that it may be openedwhen the main thoroughfare is closed. Ordinary adj ustments can beeffected by opening the main thoroughfare to a greater or less extent;but

when a very small thoroughfare is required the valve is operated toclose the main thoroughfare and open the small auxiliary passage-way,thus permitting a restricted suction from the heater or radiator. Byconstructing this restricted auxiliary thoroughfare of a series of smallpassage-ways so arranged that one or more thereof may be opened the areaof the small auxiliary thoroughfare may be varied with great ease.

In the drawings, Figure 1* is a diagrammatic view of a steam heatingapparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view ofthe valve for controlling the discharge and suction from the radiatorsor heaters. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are horizontal sectional views of thesame, showing the various adjustments of the valve. Fig. 7 is a verticalsectional view of another form of valve for controlling the dischargeand suction. Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11 are horizontal 8o sectional views ofthe same, showing various adjustments thereof.

' A is the source of steam-supply-in this case, an exhaust pipe from anengine B. Live steam may, however, be supplied direct from a boiler 0through the usual supplypipe Z.

D I) are the radiators or heaters connected with the source ofsteam-supply in the usual manner.

E E are the returns from the heaters.

F is a vacuum-pump or other means for creating a partial vacuum or lowerpressure connected with the returns.

G G are the valve devices interposed be- 5 tween the outlets of theradiators or heaters and the vacuum-creating device F. These valvedevices are provided with a main thoroughfare c of relatively large areaand an auxiliary thoroughfare of relatively small rco may be opened.

area so arranged with reference to the main thoroughfare that it may beopened when the latter is closed. The particular construction of thisvalve device in other respects is not essential to the invention, and inthe drawings I have illustrated different forms in which the valve maybe constructed. In the construction shown in Figs. 2 to 6 the valveconsists of the body g, having the inlet a and outlet b, the bonnet orcap it, and the valve-piece d, fitting in the body and provided with themain thoroughfare c and the small auxiliary thoroughfare, which iscomposed of a series of small passage-ways d d (i arranged transverselyto the main passage-way and at a slight angle to one another, so thattheir openings will be in different axial planes. When the plug (Z isturned so that the main passageway c is opened, these auxiliarypassage-ways will be transverse to the inlet and outlet, andconsequently will be closed, as shown in Fig. 3. By turning the plug dthe passageway 0 may be closed and one or more of the small auxiliarypassage-ways d d d In Fig. 4 the plug is shown turned to open the firstpassage-way (Z only. This will aiford a very restricted thoroughfarethrough the valve. By turning the plug a slight distance farther, as inFig. 5, the second passage-way (Z will also be opened, thus affording aless restricted thoroughfare, and by turning the plug still farther, asin Fig. 6, the third passage-way d may also be opened.

No great care or accuracy of adjustment is required in regulating thevalve-plug, as the restricted passage-ways positively limit the extentof thoroughfare, and it is only necessary to turn the plug to the extentrequired to open one or more of those passage-ways as may be desired.Such adjustment could obviously not be obtained by merely closing thepassage-way c to a greater or less extent, because as that passage-wayis necessarily of comparatively large area a very careful adjustmentwould be necessary to close the thoroughfare to the desired extent ofrestriction, and in practical use such nice adjustment is not possibleand the valve is closed or open to too great an extent. The plug may beadjusted or turned in anyconvenient manner. I have shown it in eachconstruction provided on the top with a non-circular lug m, adapted toreceive a key, which may be applied when the bonnet h is removed.

The construction shown in Figs. 7 to 11 is especially adapted forangle-valves. In this case the passageway c in the valve-plug cl isangular, entering the side and leading through the bottom, and the sidewall of the plug substantially opposite to the side ontrance of thepassage-way is provided with small openings 6 e 6 which form therestricted auxiliary passage-way. By turning the plug (Z the passage-way0 may be opened or closed or one or more of the small auxiliarypassage-ways e e e may be opened.

Other forms of valve devices suitable for carrying out my invention maybe employed, and I do not mean to limit myself to the particular formsshown or to other details of construction.

The valve devices G throughout the system may be adjusted to suit theparticular requirements, those through which a free discharge and fullsuction is required being adjusted with the main thoroughfare 0 open andthose through which a very small discharge and limited suction isdesired being adjusted with one or more of the restricted passage-waysopen and the main thoroughfare closed. In this way the system may beoperated with uniform and equalized circulation throughout and withoutliability of short-circuiting or waste of steam.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is asfollows:

In a steam heating apparatus, the combination of radiating devices,returns leading therefrom, means to create a partial vacuum or lowerpressure in said returns and statically-adjustable valve devices locatedin said returns embracing an adjustable valve-piece having a mainthoroughfare of maximum area, and an auxiliary thoroughfare of variablearea so disposed with reference to the main thoroughfare of maximum areaas to be closed when said main thoroughfare is open and vice versacomposed of a series of relatively small passage-ways so located withreference to one another that one or more of said small passage-ways maybe opened by turning the valve-piece to regulate the size of saidauxiliary thoroughfare when said main thoroughfare is closed, wherebythe suction through said valve to any radiator or series of radiatorsmay be statically regulated by the adjustment of the size of saidauxiliary thoroughfare to suit the position of the radiators and theconditions of operation.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

WARREN WVEBSTER.

\Vitnesses:

WALTER B. HUMPHREYS, THEo. L. WEBSTER.

